Most food and drink you buy contains a list of ingredients. Generally, the higher the amount of something, the further up the ingredient is on the list. Most products list sugars as ‘Carbohydrate (of which sugars)’.
But there are lots of other names for sugar:
- Glucose
- Sucrose
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Maltose
- Corn syrup
- Maple syrup
- Agave syrup
- Honey
- Hydrolysed starch
- Invert sugar
- Molasses
In general, try to avoid products if:
- Sugar is listed as one of the top three ingredients
- It contains ingredients ending in ‘ose’
- It contains more than one type of sugar
- It is red for sugar on the traffic light system
Many major supermarkets and brands use a ‘traffic light’ system on the front of their packs to show nutritional information. The colour-coded system means you can quickly see whether foods contain high, medium, or low amounts of calories, sugar, fat, saturated fat and salt.
Find sugar on the traffic light panel. You will see an amount (in grams) and what percentage this represents of an adult’s maximum daily limit.
It’s important to check the serving size at the top of the panel, as some figures are based on only half a portion or one slice. Also, remember that these percentage amounts are based on an adult’s daily limit of 30g per day, rather than a child’s, which is significantly less.
Check your child’s daily limit based on their age and use a calculator to work out if food or drink contains more than their recommended daily limit.
Top 3 food label tips to avoid too much sugar
For years, unhealthy food and drinks have been strategically placed in our supermarkets and labelled with claims, such as ‘high in protein’ and ‘source of fibre’, which make us believe they’re good for us. For example, some cereal bars seem healthy based on their packaging, but actually may deceptively contain a lot more sugar than you realise!
Pressure from campaigners finally saw the Government introduce restrictions on promoting items that are high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) from October 2022.
Since then, nutrition advocates have continued to call for clearer labelling on front of packs and mandatory colour-coding, known as the traffic light system, to help people identify unhealthy foods. We’ve come a long way, but packaging can still be confusing. Here are our 3 top tips for spotting sugars in nutrition information to help you choose healthier alternatives when shopping.
Keep in mind, anyone over the age of 11 is only supposed to consume a maximum of 30 grams of sugar per day, according to the NHS. This doesn’t take into account naturally occurring sugars you find in fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose). The 30-gram daily limit is based on the added sugar you consume from sweet goods such as biscuits, cakes, chocolate, ready meals, and fizzy drinks. To give you an idea, a 500ml bottle of Coca-Cola contains 53 grams of sugar, which is already nearly double the maximum amount!
| Age | Daily limit in teaspoons | Daily limit in grams | Equivalent to (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-3 years old | 0 | 0g | Fruit, veg, milk |
| 4-6 years old | 4.5 | 19g | 50g frosted flakes |
| 7-11 years old | 5.5 | 24g | 1 doughnut |
| 11+ years old (including all adults) | 7 | 30g | Half 500ml bottle of cola |
Sugar is typically labelled as carbohydrate (of which sugars). It’s worth remembering that nutritional content must be listed in order of weight, from high to low. So, the main ingredients in the packaged food will always come first. This means that if you see ‘sugars’ high on the list, the item contains a lot of sugar. Again, it’s added sugar you want to watch out for, not naturally occurring sugars.
The traffic light system can be useful to quickly work out sugar content at a glance. In general, red indicates high sugar, amber is medium and green is low. However, it’s important to check the packaging and its recommended portion size. If their grading is based on a 30-gram portion, but you actually eat 50-grams, this may mean you’re consuming more sugar than you think.
Also, be sure to look for mostly greens and ambers across the board, as salt and fat also need to be consumed in moderation.
Of course, some foods aren’t labelled, such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and eggs. However, these tend to be healthy ingredients that only contain naturally occurring sugars. It’s worth noting, however, that when fruits or vegetables are juiced, more sugar is released. It’s always best to eat whole ingredients to ensure you get the maximum nutritional content. Also, be mindful of any meat or fish purchased from deli counters in a sauce or marinade, especially sweet chilli, or BBQ, as these will also contain added sugar.
For more information on reading food labels and get more top tips at:
This resource was created by Sheffield’s Sweet Enough
Sheffield’s Sweet Enough is a campaign run by Sheffield City Council and partners to help local families, food businesses, schools and healthcare professionals tackle the harms caused by eating too much sugar.
Together with our partners, which includes the NHS, Sheffield’s universities, colleges, Trading Standards and the voluntary sector, we’re here to share helpful facts, sugar swaps, tips and advice for all ages.